Diary for 12th February to 18th February 2009

THURSDAY 12th FEBRUARY - Javanese Music

I am going to reserve myself a place in advance for the Javanese Gamelan and Sung Poetry Day on the 21st of February at the Southbank Centre . From 10:15am -7:00pm there will be workshops on sounds of the gamelan ( beautiful Javanese percussion orchestra) most of which are free and will teach you how to follow and create the rhythms and sounds of the traditional Javanese songs. For more information about the day's programme and registration visit this website. If you want to learn more about Gamelan and the Gamelan network take a look here.



FRIDAY 13th FEBRUARY- A goldmine of anthropology links

The other day while on the Internet, I came across this wonderful website: www.anthropologie.net. This website has an incredible amount of links for those interested in anthropology. There is a vast array of websites from museums, research institutions, and university departments around the world, anthropology in the news and lots more! This is a very useful tool especially for those interested in archeology and exploring anthropology beyond the UK.







SATURDAY 14th FEBRUARY- Love and Anthropology

Is romantic love universal? Is it something that can be recognized amongst people of different cultures despite barriers to communication and understanding? "For decades anthropologists and other scholars have assumed romantic love was unique to the modern West" says anthropologist Dr. Leonard Plotnicav." Anthropologists came across it in their field work but they rarely mentioned it". There have been a growing number of anthropologists in recent years however who have chosen to focus on love as their main research topic. One biological anthropologist Dr. Helen Fischer, has made it her life work. Considered to be a world expert on the topic of love, Dr. Fischer has been studying sex, love, marriage and gender differences for over 30 years. She was hired by match.com to help build chemistry.com, another pair matching site. She has just published a new book called Why Him? Why Her?: Finding Real Love by Understanding Your Personality Type...perhaps it is really this simple?



SUNDAY 15th FEBRUARY - Iran past and present

How do great leaders who have influenced major transformations in social, economic and political domains in the past, affect our present understanding of a country and its cultural traditions? Following on from its series on great rulers of the ancient world, the British Museum is launching the Shah' Abbas The Remaking of Iran. In collaboration with the Iran Heritage Foundation, the exhibit contains objects such as mosque lamps, paintings and carpets, many of which have not been seen outside of Iran. The exhibit runs from the 19th of February to the 14th of June. Admission is 12 pounds for adults and 10 for students.








MONDAY 16th FEBRUARY- Un voyage a Paris...

I've decided to rid myself of the winter blues by booking myself a ticket to Paris for some Anthropology Parisien style. For those of you who speak and understand french, on 11th and 12th of March at the Musee du Quai Branly, in the Levi-Strauss theatre, there will be an international symposium entitled Performace: Art et Anthropologie. The symposium will feature contributions from well known performance artists, and filmmakers as well as anthropologists such as Lucien Taylor and George Marcus. For more information and a link to the programme visit this website. For further enquiries and registration email Caterina Pasqualino: cpasqualino@noos.fr




TUESDAY 17th FEBRUARY- The Politics of Religion in Turkey

Turkey provides a compelling example of the tension and overlap that exists between politics and religion and how they are expressed in various public spheres. Today Professor Istar Gozaydin from Istanbul Technical University, will give a lecture exploring the different demands and needs of various social groups in Turkey, roughly defined by their political standpoints as secularists and pro-Islamists. The lecture is free and open to all. No registration is necessary. The lecture will take place in the Council Room at Birkbeck University's main building at 6:30pm.



WEDNESDAY 18th February - Polyphonic China

Polyphonic comes from the Greek words 'poly' which means many and 'phoni' which means sound or voice. Polyphonic China is a free screening- seminar series of new independent Chinese documentary films that are being premiered in the UK. Running from the 10th of February till the 31st of March the evening events are held from 6:00pm- 9:00pm at the NLT2 Lecture Theatre 1 & 2 (Old Cinema), Regent Campus, University of Westiminster. The next screening will take place on February 24th. You can find more information about the series here. For any further enquires please email: t.yu@westminster.ac.uk

Lucy Special : Fantastic Anthropologist About Town events in March

Hi Everyone,

I'm posting a special Anthropologist About Town message to let you know about some fantastic Lucy events I'm running in March and to give you a chance to book some free tickets before spaces run out!

Some of you will have noticed on the prevoius blog I mentioned the ESRC Festival of Social Science 2009 which is part of the National Science and Engineering Week (6-15 March). In the ESRC Festival, Lucy is running a special series of FREE anthropology-related events looking at the connections between food, plants and people. These events are all designed to raise awareness of anthropology for the general public, and demonstrate how anthropology is playing a role in topical debates on climate change, food security and biodiversity.

The series kicks off with a free day time event at Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew on the 7th of March and includes hands-on learning activities, displays and films. The second main event will be at the British Museum's Clore Centre and will involve talks, interactive activities, and information boards. These two main events will be followed up by intimate film screening at the Royal Anthropological Institute (9th-11th March) . All events are FREE but you need to book a place by calling 0207 387 0455 or emailing education@therai.org.uk

MAIN EVENTS:


The Social Life of Plants
SATURDAY 7th March 11:00am- 4:00pm
The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew (Jodrell Laboratory) Richmond, Surrey, TW9-3AB

This will be a daytime event where anthropologists and ethnobotanists will demonstrate the (often overlooked) interconnections between the lives of plants and people. Through films, talks, hands-on learning activities and exhibitions, participants will explore how plants affect the lives of individuals around the world, in medecine, food, materials, and rituals. The event will form part of Kew's 250 anniversary, highlighting its Breathing Life Programme, as well as forming part of the International Year of Natural Fibres. Topical concerns such as conservation, climate change, biodiversity and complimentary medecine will be explored through collaborative research being undertaken by Kew and the University of Kent.



Exploring Food, Connecting Communities @ The British Museum's Clore Centre
SUNDAY 8th March 10:30am -4:30pm
The British Museum's Clore Centre: Great Russel St. London, WC1B 3DG

This event aims to raise public awareness of local food projects within th UK and abroad, and foster future collaboration betweeen associated groups of individuals. Presentations given by anthropologists, journalists, and organisations such as Sustain, The Soil Association, and Slow Food UK will accompany information stalls, and hands-on learning activities.









Upstairs at the RAI Film Screenings: People, plants, food and film
9th-11th March

The series of anthropological events related to food, people and plants continues with a series of intimate (max 20 people) evening film screenings upstairs followed in some cases by a Q and A session with the filmmaker/anthropologist at the Royal Anthropological Institute, 50 Fitzroy St, London, W1T-5BT. Free snacks and drinks will be provided. Unfortunately there is no wheelchair access at this time.


Monday 9th March: 6:30-8:30pm
Uncle Poison (1998) Ricardo Leizaola, 6o mins

Filmed in the city of Caracas, capital of Venezuela, Uncle Poison is an intimate portrayal of a traditional faith healer, set against the backdrop of his community's Easter celebrations . Every day Benito Reyes receives people at his house looking for all sorts of cures. Through the personal testimony of the healer, this documentary looks at his role as a mediator between the social, natural and spiritual worlds. The producer, Ricardo Leizaola, will join us for a Q &A session after the screening.





Tuesday 10th March: 6:30- 8:30 pm
Betelnut Bisnis (2004) Chris Owen, 52 min

Betelnut is one of the most widely used narcotics in the world. Many families living in coastal areas of Papua New Guinea, where it is grown, have come to depend on betelnut for their livelihood (trading small quantities of the nut up form the coast to sell in thier local markets) as well as feeding their addiction to the drug itself. For many, the betelnut trade is the only source of cash income to pay for basic needs such as food, school fees and medecine. This is a story of one such family -Lukas Kaima and his wife Kopu-as told by their friend and close neighbour, Chris Owen, an Australian expatriate. A Q &A session with Professor Eric Hirsch (Head of Department of Anthropology) at Brunel University will follow the screening.


Wednesday 11th March: 6:30-8:30pm
*Two short films will be shown*

The Land on which we Stand (2007) Rebecca Payne, 31 min

This film gives us a glimpse into the life of the Landmatters Co-operative, a community of 11 adults and 4 children living in benders and yurts in rural Devon as they develop a permaculture project. Although the group own the 42 acres of land, it was originally bought for agricultural purposes and they do not have planning permision to use it for residential purposes. The film follows the group as they fight for permission to live on the land in order to create a self-reliant way of living that doesn't depend on fossil fuels.

No Such Thing as a Free Lunch (2008) Tate LeFevre, 18 min

How can a radical activist movement based on limited participation in the capitalist system use the mainstream media to further its goals? This film follows members of the Freegan movement in New York City as they dumster dive, cook feasts with salvaged food and give interview to Oprah-all while managing their own difficult relationship with the media and each other.


IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME ALONG TO ANY OF THE EVENTS LISTED ABOVE DON'T FORGET TO BOOK YOURSELF A FREE PLACE (0207 387 0455) or education@therai.org.uk

Diary for 29th January to 4th February 2009

THURSDAY 29th JANUARY - Thinking of marriage?

In a lot of societies marriage is seen as a rite of passage. Some people might argue that if you are not married by a certain age you are considered a social outcast.. but what happens when you are confronted with the social differences of your cultural heritage and those where you have been raised? Tonight I am going to the undergraduate common room at the Department of Anthropology at UCL to see the film Every Good Marriage Begins with Tears. The film explores the lives of two East London Bengali girls and their arranged marriages to boys from rural Bangladesh. Filmmaker Simon Chambers will be there for a Q &A session. The screening is from 6-8pm. The film is distributed by the Royal Anthropological Institute. For more information email: film@therai.org.uk



FRIDAY 30th JANUARY- Treat yourself (and your partner)

Those of you looking to do something a bit special in anticipation for Valentines Day might be interested in feasting on a history of Chocolate.. did you know that chocolate used to be used as a type of currency for the Aztec and Inca empires? Professor Steven Parissien will speak about the history of chocolate at the Foundling Museum on February 13th and will join members of the public in tasting and learning about an array of different kinds of chocolate. Tickets are £15. Booking is essential, details can be found here.





SATURDAY 31st JANUARY - Voo-Doo Creativity

Ever been interested in the forces of the universe and transcendence from the state of human consciousness? The 'Voo-Doo Hoochie Coochie and the Creative Spirit' exhibit at the Riflemaker Gallery explores a subject investigated by many anthropologists, through an exposition of music, art, written work and dance. The artists are not only concerned with exploring different cultural expressions of Voo-Doo through dolls, gods or rituals, but also in the way creative spirits allow them to produce their work. The exhibit is held in the oldest building in the West End dating back to 1712 and a former gunmaker's workshop, perhaps adding another spiritual dimension? The exhibit runs from 19th of January to 4th of April.


SUNDAY 1st FEBRUARY - Enjoying the Social Sciences

With only a little over a month to go, today I am going to take a look at the Economic and Social Research Council's Festival of Social Science programme and the range of activities and events. The 7th annual festival will run from 6-15th of March and will have free events all over Britain for anyone interested in learning about the social sciences. From looking at the social dimension of sports in Sheffield, to exploring food and communities in London, there is something for everyone. The ESRC festival forms part of the National Science and Engineering Week. For a free brochure email: education@therai.org.uk with your adress and contact details.


MONDAY 2nd FEBRUARY - The travelling Sari

Some of you might remember a posting I made several weeks ago about the British Sari Story. Developed by Bridging Arts with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the project looks at the history, and evolution of the sari and its adaptation of design patterns to reflect British Asian life stories within the UK. What's interesting is that the project (originally designed for museum use) has expanded and is now being shown in York Gardens and Balham libraries. You can find more information about the project here.



TUESDAY 3rd FEBRUARY- That dreaded three letter word..

A few days ago fashion guru Gok Wan tackled the subject of Obesity in the channel four production ' Too Fat, Too Young' . Reflecting on his own struggle with weight as a child, he interviews various social scientists and youth to try and find out the root causes of obesity amongt young people in the UK. In the book Fat: The Anthropology of an Obsession, a collection of essays by academic anthropologists demonstrate how fat means different things to different people around the world. The anthology includes articles ranging from Western attitudes toward fat, to force feeding, supersize porn, and Spam in the construction of Native Hawaiin identity. This book helps us reflect on our own hidden/overt assumptions of body images.





WEDNESDAY 4th FEBRUARY - DJ Anthropologist

Of all the innovative ways that you can use your anthropology degree, becoming a DJ/producer ranks high on the list. Wesley Pentz (more commonly known as Diplo) has worked for celebrities like Gwen Stefani and Kayne West. His soundtracks have also appeared in hollywood hit films Slumdog Millionaire and Pineapple Express. Pentz has been mixing and collecting sounds since he was 15 years old. According to an article in the Guardian, Pentz has the ability to 'soundtrack our lives without even trying'. One of Diplo's most recent acheivements has been to produce a documentary looking at baile funk in Brazilian favelas called Favella on Blast. For more information read this report by the New Yorker.

Diary for 22nd January to 28th January 2009

THURSDAY 22ND JANUARY - Back in time in the East

This evening I'll be heading across to the latest exhibition at SOAS University's Brunei Gallery, called Vintage Singapore. Focusing on the development of the region in the period after World War II, the collection looks at how Singaporean ways of life changed in areas ranging from housing to industry to food. By viewing the past, it attempts to highlight certain social and cultural aspects that still remain integral to Singaporean identity today. It's an interesting look at how ideas of 'nationhood' are formed, something anthropologists often look at. The gallery is open between Tuesday and Sunday from 10.00 to 17.00 and admission is FREE.






FRIDAY 23RD JANUARY - One lump or two...

It's a source of eternal debate as to how you should make the perfect cuppa', so today I'll be learning how the Japanese do it during a free demonstration at The British Museum. 'Way of Tea' is a exposition of the Japanese tea ceremony, which has been carried out for centuries - and takes place amidst the Japanese Collection at the museum, containing hundreds of fascinating objects from the country - as well as information about how those objects and Japanese culture are intertwined. There are two FREE sessions today, beginning at 13.30 and 15.00 in Room 92 - you can just turn up to learn more. Now should I put the milk in first or second...?





SATURDAY 24TH JANUARY - Shakin' that ass

Donning my finest attire, today I'll be at the Design Museum in London perusing the latest exhibition on show from fashionista Hussein Chalayan, who claims to fuse anthropology with culture and technology in his work, instead of merely mimicking celebrity trends. This latest selection includes includes furniture that transforms itself into garments once it is worn... not for nothing has he been called "fashion's deepest thinker"! Where the anthropology comes in I'm not quite clear for the moment, though this article about a previous exhibition does go some way to shedding light on the matter. The collection runs until mid-May and costs £8.50 for admission, or £5 for students. Get on the catwalk.





SUNDAY 25TH JANUARY - Irish waterworks

On Sunday it's another chance to view some interesting material on the iplayer, when I'll be watching a documentary that recently appeared on BBC Northern Ireland. The Fountain, directed by Alessandro Negri, is an ethnographic film-of-sorts with its look at one of the last existing Protestant communties in West Londonderry. Over recent decades, it's been the centre of much migration but the film-maker focuses on the older generation who retain substantial pride in the location's cultural significance, and try to retain it through music and dance. You can view a trailer of the film here, but remember that the film will only be online for a few more days.



MONDAY 26TH JANUARY - No man is an island

Today I'll be down at the National Maritime Museum navigating a course through 'Endless Dreams and Water in Between'. It's an exhibition that depicts the manner in which maritime culture has developed over the years, and how that culture has been represented (and misrepresented)... Made up of film, artefacts and installations, the visitor is also encouraged to think about the way islands affect our understanding of our own place in the world. It's a poetic and novel look at some topics that are often of interest to the anthropologist - and about a group of people - those who live and work on water - which is rarely discussed. If all that whets (boom boom) the appetite, then you could have a look at this rather mouth-watering volume also. The Museum is open from 10.00 until 17.00 daily and the exhibition runs until mid-March.



TUESDAY 27TH JANUARY - Brain drain

'Weird and wonderful' on offer today with the first installment of the "Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness 2009 lecture series" at the October Gallery, which features psychologist David Luke talking about "Death, and the God of a thousand eyes". He will be discussing the experiences people have with paranormal beings - whether it be due to sleep, drugs, impending near-death or just a run-of the-mill vision - and what they can tell us about someone's personal and societal background. The talk promises to cover 'folklore, mythology, neurochemistry, magic, shamanism (an anthropological favourite), the Luciferian witch cult, brain anatomy, Tibetan demonology, the pineal gland, art, the Reg Veda, psychoactive toads' and much more so should definitely be worth the £7 entry fee (£5 for students). The event begins at 18.00 (for 18.30) and booking ahead is recommended on rentals@octobergallery.co.uk or call 020 7831 1618.







WEDNESDAY 28TH JANUARY - The power of religion

Today marks the 2009 return of ethnographic film-screening specialist Pocketvisions, when at 20.30 in the Barbican Cinema 3, 'The Tears of Imam Hussein' will be showing. The documentary is about the annual Shiite Ashura Ceremony, which commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, Prophet Muhammad's grandson. Filmed in the City of Nabatieh, Lebanon in 2006, the film is a telling insight into the ways a specific community honour their martyr over the course of 10 days. Its a good example of a film that uses a localised event to explore grander themes of the ceremony's religious and politcal power across the globe. Tickets are £7.50 if booked online in advance, or £9.50 otherwise.



*Finally a quick thank you to all those who continue to read about Lucy's meanderings - from next week the Anthropologist about Town will be reincarnated as another Lucy - so good luck, keep reading and happy anthropolgizing!*

Diary for 15th January to 21st January 2009

THURSDAY 15TH JANUARY - The Digital Hunter

Many an anthropologist may think the life of the tech-savvy businessmen of today couldn't be further away than that of hunter-gatherers, as described in many an ethnographic study. However, today I'll be having a read of an article that argues that the Generation XYZers who work in the digital age have many similar tendencies in the way they live their lives. These 'Cyberforagers', according to author David Berreby, work intensely for brief periods, prefer a good work-life balance and aren't fond of hierarchy - similar to hunter-gatherer societies on the other side of the world. It's an thought-provoking piece of cross-cultural comparison - make up your own mind whether you agree...







FRIDAY 16TH JANUARY - The Impact of War

Today I will be passing my time at a deeply affecting exhibition at the Wellcome Collection, North London called 'War & Medicine'. It takes a look at how medicine has had to adapt to the increasingly sophisticated weapons used in warfare. The material focuses on conflicts from the time of the Crimean War right up to current happenings in Iraq and Afghanistan - and with regard to the latter location you can see some of the work of anthropologist Catherine Panter-Brick, from Durham University. She has been conducting a research project on the mental health of Afghanistani child refugees, and has contributed a group of Afghan children’s drawings on war and their memories and expectations; all part of her qualitative investigations. It's one of few existing studies on youth mental health in a war-affected setting. War and Medicine runs until mid-February and entrance is FREE - opening hours are 10.00 until 18.00.


SATURDAY 17TH JANUARY - Evolutionary thinking

Last week I mentioned the series of Radio 4 programmes on Charles Darwin, to celebrate the 200th anniversary of his birth. Today, I'll be checking out the specially constructed Darwin 200 website, which is full of resources and information about his work, as well as listing many exhibitions and events taking place around the country all year. For example, there is currently an extensive presentation of his work at The Natural History Museum in London - 'Darwin, Big Ideas' - but you can read about his impact in other parts of the country here, as well as search for other events taking place in your home town. And then you can have an animated discussion with someone about whether nature trumps nurture...


SUNDAY 18TH JANUARY - Where no man has been before?

Youtube has a massive amount of material related to anthropology available - watch out in coming weeks for more links - so today I'll be checking out the BBC series from last year that has been uploaded called 'First Contact'. It sought to document the phenomenon of 'ethnotourism' and investigate how and why travel companies are selling experiences for tourists where they are able to visit 'uncontacted' tribes. Some of the commentators in the programme are anthropologists who debate the ethical problems with the commercialisation of 'remoteness'. Of course the very making of the BBC film itself could be considered to be caught up in the dilemma it critiques - by filming the 'first contact' does the director become implicated himself....?







MONDAY 19TH JANUARY - The Hidden Museum

On Monday I thought I'd venture over to the Ethnographic Museum at University College London, where around 3000 artifacts lie in their main collection. They include the art, technology and material culture from a wide array of civilizations, including items such as jewellery, Maori cloaks and even pipes. The Museum is an exclusive one - visits are by prior appointment only with the curator, and usually need to be for a research or educational purpose. However, once inside it is well worth the effort, if only for the nuit carved bone eye shades from early 1800's!





TUESDAY 20TH JANUARY - The Best of the Rest

In my final installment of web-nostalgia for anthropology that appeared on the internet in the year just past, today I wanted to read through and check some of the links from the Neuroanthropology blog's review of the 'Best of Anthro Blogging 2008'. Divided into seven categories (Public Relevance; Anthropological Vision; Being Human; Controversy, Commentary and Critique; Empiricism and Scholarship, Language; Blogging) it gives a rundown of some of the highlights of the last 12 months. Most interesting perhaps is the first section, featuring pieces that have in some ways raised the profile of anthropology by commenting on matters of public interest. It includes a link to an article about the work of an 'anthropologist' employed by the US army as part of their highly controversial Human Terrain System in Afghanistan.








WEDNESDAY 21ST JANUARY - Right & Wrong

On Wednesday I'll be listening again to the sweet sounds of Thinking Allowed, which this week hosted a lively discussion on moral relativism. One of the main guests on the programme was Henrietta Moore, Professor of Anthropology at LSE - who has just published a book on the subject with two other academics, a lawyer and a sociologist. Relativism - i.e. the belief that different social and moral rules can apply in different societies - is a thorny issue in anthropology, since when taken to its logical extreme, it can potentially be used to justify pretty unpleasant abuses of 'universal human rights'. As always, it's a balancing act between understanding difference, whilst not excusing all behaviour just because it is the product of a particular social situation. This debate helps with that very dilemma. (The Thinking Allowed website has also had an overhaul and you can now view past episodes by handily divided thematic bookmarks...)

Diary for 8th January to 14th January 2009

THURSDAY 8TH JANUARY - A view on Iraq

This week begins with the book launch of a text called 'What kind of Liberation? Women and the Occupation of Iraq'. Organised by Open Shutters, an participatory media organisation, the book is a collection of written testimony and photography produced by Iraqi women in the time since since the US invasion. It aims to examine the invaders' rhetoric that their presence would improve the rights of the average Iraqi woman. It should be an interesting evening, as anthropologists are also often keen to investigate the discrepancies between what is said and what is 'real'. The evening features selected slides and spoken word from Open Shutters, a discussion and Q&A with some of those involved, and a drinks reception. It goes on between 18.30 and 21.00 at the Brunei Gallery in SOAS, and entrance is FREE. For more information you can contact N.S.Al-Ali@soas.ac.uk or telephone 020 7898 4547.




FRIDAY 9TH JANUARY - From apes to Melvyn Bragg

Today I'm planning to listen again to a radio series that was broadcast on Radio 4 this week. Darwin: In our Time was made to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of the Species. Evolutionary anthropology is a major sub-field of the subject, and the nature-nurture debate is one that still rages within anthropological, not to mention, wider circles. So this series of programmes, which takes a biographical look at the way Darwin's theory was put together, is of great interest whatever your specialisation. The episodes will be available on the iplayer for the next week.


SATURDAY 10TH JANUARY - Sounds of the Sahara

Come the weekend, I'll be revisiting the 'Moroccan Memories' season that I mentioned on the blog before Christmas. It's an oral and visual history project that aims to highlight the presence of the Moroccan community in the UK (dating back to before the 19th century!). The collection has now left London and is on a tour of the country. Over the next few days it will be in St.Albans, and events include several film screenings as well as a music workshop being given by Mustapha El Moumni. El Moumi grew up in the desert of South Morocco, renowned for its music of great rhythmic intensity, and over the years he has accompanied some of the finest Gnawa musicians. Everything takes place at the Town Hall, St Peter's Street, in St.Albans - open today between 10.00 and 18.00 - you can view the full schedule for the exhibition's tour here.








SUNDAY 11TH JANUARY - With you each day, home and away...

There's an exciting new exhibition at the Museum of Childhood in East London that has just opened, called 'Home and Away'. However, it's not a collection of images from the infamous Ozzie soap opera - much more interestingly it 's an exhibition based on the research of two Sussex anthropologists (Katy Gardner and Kanwal Mand) who have been working with a group of British Bangladeshi children from East London. They have been trying to question the stereotype that British Asian children are "caught between two separate cultures in two separate places" - in fact it seems as they see both places as both 'home' and 'away'. The exhibition runs until the end of March and admission is FREE.






MONDAY 12TH JANUARY - Learning something new

It's a Monday, and it's also still the season of New Year's resolutions, so today I'm going to look into the many part-time anthropology courses on offer at Birkbeck University in London. As you will see from the course list page, there are plenty of opportunities, with short courses available (normally around 16 weeks) to study the subject in connection with religion, tourism, architecture, morality and many others. Several of the courses have new cycles starting later this month, such as 'Anthropology, Development and Tourism', which comes in at a reasonable £150 for 16 sessions if you are eligible for a concessionary rate. So if one of your intentions for 2009 was to become a little more versed in the anthropological ways of the world, here's your chance...



TUESDAY 13TH JANUARY - Film tourism

Time flies when you're an anthropologist about town having fun, and so it appears that the next biennial RAI Film Festival is already on the horizon. This year it is in Leeds, and the underlying theme of the festival (and the subsequent conference) will be 'Emotion in Motion: The Passions of Tourism, Travel and Movement'. The website has recently been launched, and contains plenty of information to whet the appetite, including more information on the seminars and panels that will accompany film screenings, and also details for submissions - January 15th is the deadline for all you film-makers...


WEDNESDAY 14TH JANUARY - Rudeboys on the radio

Today I'm going to listen again to a recent Thinking Allowed that was aired all about gang culture, and investigating whether it is only a contemporary social phenomenon, or one that has been about for much longer. Included on the panel was Tara Young, who is currently undertaking fieldwork with young gang members to try and understand why people become members. They also discuss whether we can learn anything from the history of the 'hoodie' in order to manage the issue better nowadays. There's also an interesting brief youtube film from a lecture by anthropologist Neil Whitehead about violence, with his interesting take on how the opposing forces in a violent situation are in a 'social relationship' - you can even study the subject as an MA at Sussex...

Diary for 1st January until 7th January 2009

THURSDAY JANUARY 1ST - Better than a couple of paracetamol

Happy New Year to one and all - may 2009 be a year of adventure and endeavour for anthropologists everywhere! As many of you may be nursing a sore head today, what better way to recover than by listening to a selection of anthropological sounds from a recent anthropology/art collaboration done at the University of St.Andrews... You can banish that hangover by listening to sounds related to Efpraxia Pollatou's work on 'Fear, spoken words and fairies in a Greek island village' or 'Birds, Bells, car horns: acoustemologies across New Guinea, Europe, Africa' in the grandmaster of sound anthropology, Steven Feld's audiovisual lecture. There are many resources available on the website, all seeking to understand the many ways in which sound can be socially and culturally meaningful.






FRIDAY JANUARY 2ND - Images from history

A fantastic resource has just been launched by Google, called the 'Life Photo Archive'. It's an enormous collection of photographs dating back as far as the 1860s - many of which have never been published before. Imagery offers a great opportunity to see how 'others' live or lived their lives, as well as also a chance to interrogate how lives were represented pictorially - visual anthropologists are always trying to see beyond the surface level of an image. The archive currently contains 2 million images, but a further 8 million are set to be added, and you can search it by various useful categories...


SATURDAY JANUARY 3RD - Voodoo and Poppies

This weekend, given the freezing cold outside, I'm going to settle down with a couple of great anthropology-related books. First up, I'll be reading 'Devil Bones' by Kathy Reichs, which recently topped the Bestseller list of the New York Times. Kathy Reichs is a practising forensic anthropologist, and her latest installment in the investigations of the fictional Temperance Brennan sees him dealing with two victims of voodoo. I might also have a browse of Sea of Poppies, recently nominated for the Booker Prize - a tale set in the times of the Opium Wars, and written by Amitav Ghosh, who trained as an anthropologist. Plenty to get the year going....



SUNDAY JANUARY 4TH - Himalayan adventures

The British Museum should be early on in any New Year's list for an anthropologist about town, and today I'll be visiting their current exhibition, 'Between Tibet and Assam: Cultural Diversity in the Eastern Himalayas' which looks at the cultural differences and similarities between two tribes from the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh - the Apatani and the Monpa. It includes contemporary and historical objects, ranging from paintings to textiles, as well as an audio recording of a ritual text connected to the Apatani Murung Festival. Entrance to the exhibition is FREE, it runs until April and there is an accompanying book to complement the collection.










MONDAY JANUARY 5TH - Mindful anthropology

Today I'm going to listen to a paper given by an anthropologist at a Psychiatry conference late last year. John Curran was speaking at a conference on 'Innovative Approaches in Mental Health Research' about his role as an anthropologist in a South London practice where he acts as a sort of cultural broker between patients and doctors, many of whom come from different social backgrounds. His talk, 'The anthropologist on call: using anthropology in everyday psychiatry' is an interesting example of anthropological techniques being applied in the 'real world' (whatever that means...) He discusses such important issues as the distinction between conceptions of 'disease' and 'illness', and how different medical terms are viewed differently according to an individual's cultural standpoint. There's also an interesting introduction given by anthropologist Sue Estroff available.



TUESDAY JANUARY 6TH - Healing words

Back down at the British Museum today for an interesting talk on 'Healing and the Spirit World of Asia', given by Anouska Komlosy. She is the Curator of Asian Ethnography at the museum, and is particularly focused on cross-border cultures. She obtained a PhD in Social Anthropology in 2002, after long-term fieldwork with the Theravada Buddhist Tai people of Yunnan Province, China, so she definitely knows her stuff. The talk lasts 45 minutes, and you can just drop in - it's in Room 24 at 13.15 - entrance is FREE.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 7TH - An anthropological view on The Crunch

Today I'm going to check out the website of an extremely prescient anthropologist who has been predicting the current financial meltdown for over 3 years. Paul Jorion, a Belgian anthropologist (and apparent soothsayer), has published three books on the issue and writes regularly about it on his blogs, in both French and English. His most relevant published text, on the sub prime mortgage bubble in the USA, came out in January 2007 just before everything went a little pear-shaped. So if you want to know how and why the economy is affecting people, then his blog seems a good one to keep reading....